EP review: James Holt - In The Face Of It All

With his youthful, dynamically powerful and atmospherically inviting compositional offerings, with a combination of vehemently urging rock'n'roll vibe and vibrant folk roots, it's hardly suprising to hear I was drawn into, familiar with James Holt's expressive and pointedly spirited music from the very start. And it's not because of the last name we share, but due to his music's vividly radiant charisma and its sensitive lyrical reflectiveness. The tonally characteristic and diverse set the manchester based singer/songwriter presents on soundcloud is already heralding the greatly creative and instinctive potential he holds as a musician, his soon to be released debut EP 'In  The Face Of It All' though gets to the heart of his candid, evocative and melodiously haunting musiciansship. Now, let's get there too ...

Video Spotlight: The Juveniles - Help Me Out

With yesterday's single release from the Juveniles, let's have a proper look at the band's music video for 'Help Me Out' - we do not only see some familiar faces (and I'm not talking about the rock outfit's ones solely), get swept up in a kaleidoscope of quickly changing sceneries, whilst being exposed to a constant current of thrilling instrumental and vocal intensity, but also learn a thing or two about cinematic essentials.

Single Review & Interview: Thomas McConnell - Crocodile

Did you ever play hide and seek with a crocodile? Well, liverpool's imaginative muso Thomas McConnell can certainly cross that one off his list. In the music video for his latest single release, the characteristic singer/songwriter embarks on chasing a costumed crocodile, whilst drawing his listeners into a colourful visual frenzy and exposing them to vivacious and bright tonal buoyancy. 'Crocodile' dallies with dynamically upbeat and excitingly quirky instrumentals, topped off with jovial, eccentrically spirited vocal radiance, that occasionally flares Mr. McConnell's blurry, gripping falsetto, and accelerates with infectious and melodiously frisky jauntiness. Best classified as eventful contemporary pop music abundant in brisk rhythmic twists and vivid melodic vision, 'Crocodile' presents itself as a shiny bag of (sonic) sweets, zestfully sparkling and entertainingly delightful, blending eclectic tonal colours and bouncy harmonies as well as diverse musical genres, most notably embracing a tingly 60's flair and lively psychedelic tonal distortion. 

carmina charm #9

Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony? 

- Leonardo DaVinci

It's harmony that your soul and mind embraces again when listening to music. As sound surrounds you, only some melodies firmly resonate with you, get an immediate emotional response - whilst their approach is a smooth and soft one, whilst they slowly, carefully but steadily cling to you, these melodies eventually grab you with an intensity and force that overwhelms, that fully absorbs and stirs. It's these very melodies that are in chime with your mind and soul, it's music that leaves an imprint on your being and mesmerizes ... music that charms. 

carpe carmina's eclectic playlist - inspiring and euphonious music for everyone

Melodies roam, whisper into one's ear, enchant and captivate. Vocals sound, rise vigorously, stir and thrill with an alluring might. Jointly, both shape the glowing essence, the haunting euphony and rhythmic excitement music claims to combine. A dulcet harmony and vibrant atmosphere is brought into being, calms one's flustered mind, mends one's troubled soul, exalts one's imagination and titiliates one's senses, strikes a chord, affects and moves. Music in its charming and vivifying complexity bears the imprint of ease and serenity, of impulse and verve. All you need to do is, embrace and indulge. 

Branches

The Fireflys

When listening to the Fireflys' latest poignant creation of songwriting, 'Branches', one can't help but imagine sitting at a campfire, merging in the placid atmosphere of one's surroundings as well as of the song itself. Melodic memories of an early version of the song flare up, tonally absorbing and imbuing already back then, however, now harmoniously complemented by Adele Halsall's smooth and passionate voice - the lead singer of pop/rock quartet Chasing Infinity just recently joined forces with the soulful runcorn rock outfit, aiming to bring briskly melodious and emotionally evocative compositions into being. And with 'Branches' the band's calmly floating but powerful musicality is in bloom: Lee's husky and soothing voice stirs, whilst apollonian, ambient acoustic guitar serenades and rhythmically vibrant drumming blossom, whilst mellow harmonies soar and ardently dynamic guitarplay expands in a charming country-esque style. The song's lyrical narration flows naturally, resonates stirring sentiment, remains minimalist though, shows a repetitive formula even, which does no harm to its gleaming emotionality at all. 'Branches' provides authentic and heartfelt music-making that prospers.

Reach out & listen to The Fireflys on ...

.. twitter ...
.. facebook ...
.. the band's official website ...
.. soundcloud ...